We have been informed of Dwight's decision to not return to the Lakers. Naturally we're disappointed. However, we will now move forward in a different direction with the future of the franchise and, as always, will do our best to build the best team possible, one our great lakers fans will be proud to support. To Dwight, we thank him for his time and consideration, and for his efforts with us last season. We wish him the best of luck on the remainder of his NBA career.

After months of speculation and rumors, D12 finally made the controversial choice to leave the Los Angeles Lakers and choose a new home for next season.

He now joins James Harden, Jeremy Lin and Houston's rising squad, which has suddenly become a serious contender in the Western Conference.

Prior to making this decision, Howard entertained offers and was heavily recruited by the Dallas Mavericks and Golden State Warriors as well.However, he felt that Houstonprovided the best chance for him to win a title, the main goal at this point in his career.

The superstar big man will certainly help the Rockets' odds of making the Finals, as he’s a genuine force inside and—when healthy—a top-tier player in the league.

Prior to the blockbuster trade last summer that sent him to Los Angeles, Howard played his entire career with the Orlando Magic—the organization that selected him No. 1 overall in the 2004 draft.

At 27 years of age, Superman must realize that his powers won’t be at their peak forever and may already be in decline. If he’s going to win a ring during his career, the time is now.

Over the past two seasons, Howard’s contributions have significantly dipped. After averaging 22.9 points on 59.3 percent shooting back in 2010-11, he managed to score only 17.1 points on 57.8 percent shooting in his first year with the Lakers.

While the Lakers' team-wide struggles and offseason back surgery may be to blame, it’s becoming harder to believe that the 6’11”, 265-pound star will ever be the same player he was a few years ago.

If he’s able to improve his stats and stay healthy during the 2013-14 campaign, Houstonshould feel extremely good about its decision to sign the star center to a max deal this summer.

Howard still has championship upside and the ability to be one of the better players in the NBA, so now it's up to him to prove it and live up to his new contract.